Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be painful and frustrating, especially when they recur frequently. Although antibiotics can cure a urinary tract infection in a few days, there are some simple things you can do to prevent it first.
One, keep bacteria away from body organs
Say goodbye to burning urination, frequent urination, and other unpleasant symptoms, and change starts today.
Drink more water and relax often: The easiest way to prevent UTIs is to flush bacteria out of the bladder and urethra so they don’t settle. If you drink a lot of water, it can be difficult to stay away from the bathroom for a long time.
Scrub from front to back: Bacteria like to stay around the anus. If you scrub from front to back, especially after a bowel movement, it is less likely to carry bacteria to the urethra.
Rinse before sex, urinate after sex: Clean up with soap and water before sex. This keeps bacteria away from the urethra. Urinating after sex will flush out any bacteria that have entered the urinary tract.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
No irritating feminine products: Do not use douches, deodorant sprays, fragrance powders, and other feminine products with fragrances or chemicals.
Reconsider birth control: Diaphragms, spermicides, or lubricated condoms that contain spermicides can make people more susceptible to UTIs because they all help bacteria grow.
If you have frequent UTIs and are using one of these birth control methods, switch to a water-based lubricant for vaginal dryness and consider trying another birth control method See if that helps.
Some doctors recommend that women with frequent UTIs wear cotton underwear, take a shower instead of a bathtub, and avoid tights that can trap bacteria near the urethra. Although these things are simple to do, there is no scientific data to support the effectiveness of these measures.
Two, consult a doctor
For patients with frequent urinary tract infections, doctors recommend:
Initiate antibiotic therapy voluntarily at the onset of symptoms;
Take low-dose antibiotics daily for a period of time;
Take one antibiotic after sex.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
After menopause, a woman’s body produces less estrogen, which causes vaginal dryness and makes the urethra more susceptible to infection. Estrogen-containing vaginal creams help balance vaginal pH and allow “good” bacteria to flourish again.
Three, cranberry juice and nutritional supplements
It probably won’t hurt to give it a try, but these measures haven’t been proven to work.
Over the years, researchers have conducted many studies on a substance found in cranberries that is believed to prevent bacteria from adhering to the lining of the urinary tract.
But none of these studies show how much of this substance is needed to help prevent UTIs.
In general, drinking some cranberry juice or taking some cranberry supplements is fine, unless the patient is taking anticoagulant medications or aspirin that can affect the liver.
Probiotics, especially in the form of vaginal capsules, and D-mannose, a natural sugar available in health food stores, may help prevent damage to the body Unfavorable bacteria grow in the urinary tract, but more research is needed on both measures.
A doctor should be consulted before trying cranberry juice or other nutritional supplements to determine the appropriate dose and to ensure that these measures do not cause other problems.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
*The content of this article is for the popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment suggestion, nor can it replace the face-to-face consultation of a licensed physician, and is for reference only.
*The copyright of this article belongs to Tencent Medical Dictionary. Unauthorized reprinting by media is prohibited. Illegal reprinting will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. Individuals are welcome to forward to the circle of friends.
*Welcome to search on WeChat and pay attention to the public account “Tencent Medical”Code” to get more knowledge about health science.